Systems for autonomous and automated delivery vehicles to communicate with third parties

ABSTRACT

Described herein are various systems and processes for vehicles for delivery of real-time, on-demand orders for perishable goods, and operations thereof. The automated delivery vehicle may include a food transport container and various sensors configured to determine the location and/or surroundings of the vehicle. The automated delivery vehicle may further include a display and/or other output source configured to provide outputs to persons surrounding the automated delivery vehicle. Such outputs may include, for example, an information graphical representation (e.g., provided on a display), an audio output, and/or data communicated to a wireless device.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. Pat. Application 16/842,499entitled: “SYSTEMS FOR AUTONOMOUS AND AUTOMATED DELIVERY VEHICLES TOCOMMUNICATE WITH THIRD PARTIES” (Atty. Docket No. P0013US01_DASHP013)filed on Apr. 7, 2020, which is incorporated herein by reference in itsentirety for all purposes.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a logistics platform system forfacilitating real-time, on-demand delivery of perishable goods. In oneexample, the present disclosure relates to automated vehiclesimplemented for autonomous deliveries of perishable goods

BACKGROUND

Automated delivery platforms lack an on-board driver. The lack of anon-board driver to provide communications may lead to certaindifficulties with bystanders and pedestrians during operation of theautomated delivery platforms. Furthermore, automated delivery platformsmay be serviced within depots and the lack of communications fromautomated delivery platforms may be problematic in terms ofcommunications between workers within the depot and the vehicle, in sucha situation as well.

Consequently, it is desirable to provide communications for automateddelivery vehicles, particularly with respect to transportation ofreal-time on-demand deliveries of perishable goods.

SUMMARY

Provided are various mechanisms and processes for an autonomous deliveryvehicle for on-demand delivery of perishable goods. In one aspect, whichmay include at least a portion of the subject matter of any of thepreceding and/or following examples and aspects, an automated vehicle isprovided that includes a food transport container, a surroundingssensor, configured to determine environmental conditions around thevehicle and output environmental data, a location sensor, configured todetermine a current location of the vehicle and output location data, adisplay, and a controller. The controller is configured to performoperations that include receiving the environmental data, receiving thelocation data, determining, based on the environmental data and thelocation data, a first information graphical representation, and causingthe display to provide the first information graphical representation.

In certain such aspects, the determining the first information graphicalrepresentation comprises determining, based at least on the locationdata, that the vehicle is at a first delivery depot, determining, basedat least on the environmental data, that a delivery associate isproximate to the vehicle, and determining the first informationgraphical representation based on the determining that the vehicle is atthe first delivery depot and based on the determining that the deliveryassociate is proximate to the vehicle. In certain such aspects, thefirst information graphical representation comprises a representationindicating access to the food transport container. In certain additionalsuch aspects, the determining that the delivery associate is proximateto the vehicle comprises one or more of analyzing the environmental datato determine that a uniform of an associated delivery service is beingworn by a person proximate to the vehicle, the environmental datacomprising video data and receiving wireless data indicating that thedelivery associate is within a threshold distance from the vehicle,where the wireless data is from a wireless device associated with thedelivery associate, and where in the environmental data comprises thewireless data.

In certain such aspects, the operations further comprise determining acategory of items disposed within the food transport container, wherethe first information graphical representation is further determinedbased on the category. In certain such aspects, the operations furthercomprise determining an urgency of delivery based on the category, wherethe first information graphical representation comprises arepresentation indicating the urgency of delivery. In certain suchaspects, the operations further comprise determining, based on thecategory, a target transport time and determining operationsinstructions based on the target transport time, where the urgency ofdelivery is determined based on the target transport time.

In certain such aspects, the environmental data comprises video data,and the first information graphical representation comprises displayingthe video data. In certain such aspects, the operations further compriseanalyzing the environmental data to determine that a person proximate tothe vehicle, and the first information graphical representationcomprises highlighting the person within the displayed video data. Incertain such aspects, the operations further comprise tracking amovement of the person proximate to the vehicle, the first informationgraphical representation tracks the movement of the person proximate tothe vehicle. In certain additional such aspects, the operations furthercomprise analyzing the environmental data to determine that a categoryof the person proximate to the vehicle, where the determining the firstinformation graphical representation is based on the category of theperson.

In certain such aspects, the display is disposed across substantially afull width of the vehicle.

In certain such aspects, the first information graphical representationcomprises a representation of a delivery route of the vehicle.

In certain such aspects, the vehicle further comprises a speaker, wherethe first information graphical representation further comprises anaudio output, and where the operations further comprise causing thespeaker to provide at least a portion of the first information graphicalrepresentation.

In certain aspects, a method is provided. The method may comprisereceiving environmental data from a surroundings sensor of an autonomousfood transport vehicle, the surrounding sensor configured to determineenvironmental conditions around the vehicle, receiving location datafrom a location sensor of the vehicle, the location sensor configured todetermine a current location of the vehicle, determining, based on theenvironmental data and the location data, a first information graphicalrepresentation, and causing a display of the vehicle to provide thefirst information graphical representation.

In certain such aspects, the method further comprises determining, basedat least on the location data, that the vehicle is at a first deliverydepot, determining, based at least on the environmental data, that adelivery associate is proximate to the vehicle, and determining thefirst information graphical representation based on the determining thatthe vehicle is at the first delivery depot and based on the determiningthat the delivery associate is proximate to the vehicle. In certain suchaspects, the first information graphical representation comprises arepresentation indicating access to a food transport container of thevehicle. In certain additional such aspects, the determining that thedelivery associate is proximate to the vehicle comprises one or more ofanalyzing the environmental data to determine that a uniform of anassociated delivery service is being worn by a person proximate to thevehicle, the environmental data comprising video data and receivingwireless data indicating that the delivery associate is within athreshold distance from the vehicle, where the wireless data is from awireless device associated with the delivery associate, and where in theenvironmental data comprises the wireless data.

In certain such aspects, the method further comprises determining acategory of items disposed within a food transport container of thevehicle, where the first information graphical representation is furtherdetermined based on the category, determining, based on the category, atarget transport time, determining an urgency of delivery based on thetarget transport time, where the first information graphicalrepresentation comprises a representation indicating the urgency ofdelivery, and determining operations instructions based on the targettransport time and the urgency of delivery.

In certain such aspects, the environmental data comprises video data,and the first information graphical representation comprises displayingthe video data.

These and other embodiments are described further below with referenceto the figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The disclosure may best be understood by reference to the followingdescription taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, whichillustrate particular embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1A illustrates a side view of an automated perishable goodsdelivery system, in accordance with one or more embodiments.

FIG. 1B illustrates a front view of the automated perishable goodsdelivery system of FIG. 1A, in accordance with one or more embodiments.

FIGS. 2A-E illustrate various examples of automated perishable goodsdelivery systems with information graphical displays and outputsthereof, in accordance with one or more embodiments.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example flow process for operation of an automatedperishable goods delivery system, in accordance with one or moreembodiments.

FIG. 4 illustrates another example flow process for operation of anautomated perishable goods delivery system, in accordance with one ormore embodiments.

FIG. 5 illustrates a further example flow process for operation of anautomated perishable goods delivery system, in accordance with one ormore embodiments.

FIG. 6 illustrates an example flow process for determination of agraphical representation output by automated perishable goods deliverysystem based on person detected proximate to the automated perishablegoods delivery system, in accordance with one or more embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PARTICULAR EMBODIMENTS

Reference will now be made in detail to some specific examples of thedisclosure including the best modes contemplated by the inventors forcarrying out the disclosure. Examples of these specific embodiments areillustrated in the accompanying drawings. While the present disclosureis described in conjunction with these specific embodiments, it will beunderstood that it is not intended to limit the disclosure to thedescribed embodiments. On the contrary, it is intended to coveralternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may be included withinthe spirit and scope of the disclosure as defined by the appendedclaims.

In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth inorder to provide a thorough understanding of the present disclosure.Particular embodiments of the present disclosure may be implementedwithout some or all of these specific details. In other instances, wellknown process operations have not been described in detail in order notto unnecessarily obscure the present disclosure.

For example, the techniques of the present invention will be describedin the context of particular protocols, such as Wi-Fi or Bluetooth®.However, it should be noted that the techniques of the present inventionmay also be applied to variations of protocols. In the followingdescription, numerous specific details are set forth in order to providea thorough understanding of the present invention. Particular exampleembodiments of the present invention may be implemented without some orall of these specific details. In other instances, well known processoperations have not been described in detail in order not tounnecessarily obscure the present invention.

Various techniques and mechanisms of the present invention willsometimes be described in singular form for clarity. However, it shouldbe noted that some embodiments include multiple iterations of atechnique or multiple instantiations of a mechanism unless notedotherwise. For example, a system uses a processor in a variety ofcontexts. However, it will be appreciated that a system can use multipleprocessors while remaining within the scope of the present inventionunless otherwise noted. Furthermore, the techniques and mechanisms ofthe present invention will sometimes describe a connection between twoentities. It should be noted that a connection between two entities doesnot necessarily mean a direct, unimpeded connection, as a variety ofother entities may reside between the two entities. For example, aprocessor may be connected to memory, but it will be appreciated that avariety of bridges and controllers may reside between the processor andmemory. Consequently, a connection does not necessarily mean a direct,unimpeded connection unless otherwise noted.

With regard to the present disclosure, logistics platforms managingreal-time on-demand deliveries of perishable goods rely on accuratelocation, status, and routing mechanisms to allow for effective andefficient delivery experiences between providers and customers. Inparticular, providers located in a variety of disparate locations,particularly highly congested disparate locations, may make it difficultfor couriers and delivery people to easily pick up perishable goods fromthese locations. These may be restaurants located in high traffic areaswith limited parking. As used herein, the term “provider” may be used todescribe various types of merchants that provide goods, includingperishable goods, and the terms “provider” and “merchant” may be usedinterchangeably. As used herein, the term “delivery associate” may beused to describe a driver or courier that is delivers the goods providedby the merchant to a customer, and the terms “delivery associate” and“courier” may be used interchangeably.

Overview

The systems and methods described herein improve delivery of perishablegoods from a merchant to a customer. According to various embodiments, adepot dispatch protocol may be implemented where orders are transportedbetween one or more aggregation depots, including merchant depots andcustomer depots, with autonomous delivery vehicles. Delivery associatesmay obtain orders from one or more such depots, either directly from theautonomous delivery vehicles or from a party that had previouslyunloaded orders from the autonomous delivery vehicles. The orders maythen be delivered to customers through last-mile delivery techniques totheir final destinations.

In various other embodiments, the systems and methods described hereinmay be utilized during intermediate delivery of goods. Intermediatedelivery may include, for example, delivery from a provider of goods toa hub or depot. Thus, goods may be loaded onto the vehicle describedherein by the provider and the vehicle may then be delivered to the hubor depot. After unloading at the hub or depot, the goods may then beloaded for last-mile delivery from the hub or depot. In certainembodiments, the examples described herein may be utilized duringlast-mile delivery as well.

Systems and methods herein describe an automated delivery vehicle forperishable goods. The automated delivery vehicle may include a foodtransport container and various sensors configured to determine thelocation and/or surroundings of the vehicle. The automated deliveryvehicle may further include a display and/or other output sourceconfigured to provide outputs to persons surrounding the automateddelivery vehicle. Such outputs may include, for example, an informationgraphical representation (e.g., provided on a display), an audio output,and/or data communicated to a wireless device.

In various examples, the various sensors may include a surroundingssensor, configured to determine environmental conditions around thevehicle and output environmental data and/or a location sensor,configured to determine a current location of the vehicle and outputlocation data. The outputs may be determined by, for example, acontroller. The controller may be configured to perform operations thatinclude receiving the environmental data, receiving the location data,determining, based on the environmental data and the location data, afirst information graphical representation, and causing the display toprovide the first information graphical representation.

The information graphical representation may, in certain embodiments, bea graphical display configured to provide information to parties orpersons proximate to the autonomous delivery vehicle. In certainembodiments, the information graphical representation may provideinformation directed at persons associated with the autonomous deliveryvehicle (e.g., loaders, workers, and/or other persons who are affiliatedwith the delivery service that the autonomous delivery vehicle isaffiliated with), pedestrians or other non-associated third parties,traffic control officers, and/or other autonomous systems.

In various embodiments, the graphical representations provided tovarious parties may include messages directed to how the autonomousdelivery vehicle is being operated or plans to operate, the plannedroute of the autonomous delivery vehicle, instructions for operating,loading, unloading, and/or other aspects of interacting with theautonomous delivery vehicle based on the persons detected nearby theautonomous delivery vehicle.

In certain embodiments, the autonomous delivery vehicle may communicatethrough visual, audio, and/or other techniques. Thus, for example, theautonomous delivery vehicle may communicate through phrases, symbols, orexpressions provided through a visual display, through sounds producedby a speaker, and/or through data communicated wirelessly to one or moredevices.

Thus, the systems and techniques described herein allow for anautonomous delivery vehicle to communicate with other entities proximateto the autonomous delivery vehicle. The autonomous delivery vehicle canthen provide communications related to the operation of the autonomousdelivery vehicle to the entities proximate the autonomous deliveryvehicle.

Example Embodiments

FIG. 1A illustrates an automated perishable goods delivery system, inaccordance with one or more embodiments. FIG. 1A illustrates a vehicle100 that includes a chassis 108, drive modules 102A and 102B, batterymodule 106, surroundings sensor 114, control module 112, cargo module110, display 120, location sensor 118, and speaker 140.

In various embodiments, vehicle 100 may be a vehicle with an operationalprofile similar to that of a go-kart, a bicycle, or an electric bicycle.That is, vehicle 100 may be of a size (e.g., length or width) that canoperate in bicycle lanes. Such a width may also allow vehicle 100 tooperate on sidewalks and other pedestrian walkways. Additionally, thevarious systems and techniques described herein may allow for vehicle100 to be able to turn tightly (e.g., have a turning radius of five feetor less) and operate at speeds required for quick and efficient delivery(e.g., a top speed of 25 miles per hour or more) and operate in avariety of weather conditions and temperature ranges.

In the present example, vehicle 100 is managed by a logistics platformfor real-time, on-demand, delivery of perishable goods. For instance, acustomer may order food from a restaurant by using a mobile deviceapplication that places the order through the logistics platformassociated with the logistics platform. In some instances, the user mayalso access the logistics platform through the internet via a computer,laptop, tablet, etc. When the customer orders the food through thelogistics platform, the order is prepared at a provider site associatedwith the logistics platform. The provider may load orders into vehicle100 for delivery. After vehicle 100 has been loaded, vehicle 100 maythen be operated (either fully autonomously or remotely controlled) todeliver the order to the customer or to an intermediate depot (e.g., forunloading for last-mile deliveries by a delivery associate to thecustomer). In certain embodiments, one or a plurality or orders may beloaded by one service provider into vehicle 100, but other embodimentsmay have vehicle 100 stopping by multiple service providers to receiveone or more orders from each service provider before the orders aredelivered.

According to various examples, a provider may be a merchant thatprepares perishable goods such as food at a restaurant. Other suchmerchants may be any combination of one or more of the following:restaurants, bars, cafes, or other vendor of food or beverages, such asa hotel.

In some examples, provider sites may also provide other perishable goodssuch as floral arrangements, medications, refrigerated or frozen items,live animals, etc. that may need real-time, on-demand delivery to acustomer. Accordingly, although various examples in the presentdisclosure may describe the provider sites and logistics platform in thecontext of restaurants and food delivery, the mechanisms and processesdescribed herein may also be applied to the delivery of various otherperishable items. As used herein, the terms “provider” and “merchant”may be used interchangeably.

Drive modules 102A and 102B may each include one or more wheels 104A and104B, respectively, as well as steering mechanisms, motors, suspension,and other components described herein. The steering mechanisms arecoupled to the wheels to allow steering control of vehicle 100. Themotors are configured to provide motive power (e.g., drive) to thewheels and the suspension can absorb bumps and impacts encountered byvehicle 100 during operation of vehicle 100.

As shown in FIG. 1A, drive module 102A is disposed on a first end ofvehicle 100 and drive module 102B is disposed on a second end of vehicle100. In certain embodiments, drive modules 102A and 102B may besubstantially similar. In various embodiments, vehicle 100 may beconfigured to be primarily driven in one or multiple directions. Incertain such embodiments, including motors within each of drive modules102A and 102B may allow for vehicle 100 to be operated in a plurality ofdirections at substantially the same speed. Additionally, as each ofdrive modules 102A and 102B include steering mechanisms, either or bothends of vehicle 100 may provide steering control, increasing agility andversatility of vehicle 100. Such a configuration may be useful in, forexample, a crowded or urban environment with limited space as vehicle100 may be able to maneuver within limited spaces without the need toreverse or change directions.

Battery module 106 is an electrical power storage device. Battery module106 may be configured to power one or more of the motor, steeringmechanism, sensors, control systems, and other systems of vehicle 100.Though FIG. 1A illustrates a vehicle 100 with a single battery module,other embodiments may include a plurality of battery modules.

Battery module 106 may include quick release connections and may becoupled to chassis 108. As battery module 106 and drive modules 102A and102B are items that may require regular service, battery module 106 anddrive modules 102A and 102B are disposed on a first side 174 of chassis108. Such a configuration simplifies service of vehicle 100 as itemsthat require regular servicing may all be disposed on one portion ofchassis 108. Thus, any service may only require lifting of vehicle 100in a certain manner (e.g., to allow a mechanic access to the modules onthe bottom of vehicle 100). Furthermore, service procedures are thenstandardized as mechanics can be trained to access the bottom of vehicle100 in all or most service situations, avoiding confusion that resultsfrom multiple different service procedures.

As shown, battery module 106 may be disposed between drive modules 102Aand 102B. In certain embodiments, battery module 106 may be directlyconnected to drive modules 102A and 102B (e.g., through quick releaseconnectors). Thus, when drive modules 102A and/or 102B and batterymodule 106 are coupled to chassis 108, battery module 106 may beelectrically coupled to drive modules 102A and/or 102B via suchconnectors. Thus, battery module 106 may power drive modules 102A and/or102B.

In other embodiments, battery module 106 may provide electrical power todrive modules 102A and/or 102B via chassis 108. Thus, in suchembodiments, chassis 108 may include electrical connections that coupleto both battery module 106 and drive modules 102A and/or 102B. As such,battery module 106 may provide electrical power to drive modules 102Aand/or 102B via chassis 108 as an intermediate connection. In certainsuch embodiments, chassis 108 may thus function as a power distributorto various systems of vehicle 100.

Chassis 108 may provide structural rigidity to vehicle 100. As such,chassis 108 may be, for example, a backbone chassis, a space frame, amonocoque, and/or another type of such chassis. Chassis 108 may includeconnections to couple to one or more modules of vehicle 100 (e.g., drivemodules 102A and 102B, battery module 106, and/or other components). Incertain embodiments, chassis 108 may distribute electrical power anddata. Thus, for example, battery module 106 may provide electrical powerfirst to chassis 108 before circuitry within chassis 108 distributes theelectrical power to other modules. Additionally, control module 112 mayprovide instructions to drive modules 102A and 102B through dataconnections disposed within chassis 108. Thus, control module 112 may becommunicatively coupled to data circuitry within chassis 108 and suchdata circuitry may be additionally coupled to drive modules 102A and102B. Instructions from control module 112 may thus be communicated todrive modules 102A and 102B via chassis 108.

Control module 112 may implement various processing functions foroperation of vehicle 100. In some embodiments, instructions and otherinformation may be manually input at user interface 116. Control module112 may include one or more processors, logic devices, memories,batteries, and other circuitry to receive inputs and determine commandsfor operation of vehicle 100.

According to particular example embodiments, control module 112 usesmemory to store data and program instructions for operations describedherein. The program instructions may control the operation of anoperating system and/or one or more applications, for example. Thememory or memories may also be configured to store received metadata andbatch requested metadata. The memory or memories may also be configuredto store data corresponding to parameters and weighted factors. In someembodiments, control module 112 further comprises a graphics processingunit (GPU). As described, the GPU may be implemented to process eachimage obtained by surroundings sensor 114. In some embodiments, controlmodule 112 further includes an accelerator (e.g., a renderingaccelerator chip) which may be separate from the GPU. The acceleratormay be configured to speed up the processing by processing pixels inparallel to prevent overloading of control module 112 or the GPU. Forexample, in certain instances, ultra-high-definition images may beprocessed, which include many pixels, such as DCI 4K or UHD-1resolution. In some embodiments, the accelerator may only be utilizedwhen high system loads are anticipated or detected.

Because such information and program instructions may be employed toimplement the systems/methods described herein, the present disclosurerelates to tangible, machine readable media that include programinstructions, state information, etc. for performing various operationsdescribed herein. Examples of machine-readable media include hard disks,floppy disks, magnetic tape, optical media such as CD-ROM disks andDVDs, magneto-optical media such as optical disks, and hardware devicesthat are specially configured to store and perform program instructions,such as read-only memory devices (ROM) and programmable read-only memorydevices (PROMs). Examples of program instructions include both machinecode, such as produced by a compiler, and files containing higher levelcode that may be executed by the computer using an interpreter.

Control module 112 may receive and provide data to modules of vehicle100. In certain embodiments, control module 112 may receive data fromsuch modules and provide instructions for operation of vehicle 100, thusforming a feedback loop. In such embodiments, control module 112 may becommunicatively coupled to surroundings sensor 114 and instructions foroperation of vehicle 100 may be based on data received from surroundingssensor 114. In certain other embodiments, control module 112 may beconfigured to receive inputs from various sensors (e.g., surroundingssensor 114 and location sensor 118) of vehicle 100 and determine anappropriate output. The output may be directed parties nearby vehicle100, such as pedestrians, workers, traffic control devices, maintenancecrews, associated workers, electronic devices of such parties, and/orother parties. The output may be in the form of a visual, audio, and/ordata output. The output may be configured to allow for communicationsbetween vehicle 100 and parties (e.g., pedestrians, delivery associates,maintenance crew, and/or other persons) proximate to vehicle 100.

Surroundings sensor 114 may sense the environment around vehicle 100 andgenerate data directed to the environment around vehicle 100.Surroundings sensor 114 may include one or more of radar sensors, LIDARsensors, visual sensors, thermal sensors, magnetic sensors, and/or othersuch sensors configured to sense a portion of an area proximate tovehicle 100 or around all of vehicle 100. Data from surroundings sensor114 may be communicated to control module 112.

In various embodiments, surroundings sensor 114 may include one or moresensors and/or sensor arrays. In some embodiments, surroundings sensor114 includes one or more of a front sensor array, a back sensor array,one or a plurality of side sensor arrays positioned to face therespective sides of vehicle 100. In an example embodiment, side sensorarrays may be positioned to face at least forty-five degrees from thefront of vehicle 100. Such sensor arrays may include one or more varioussensors for receiving radar, LIDAR, visual, audio, and /or other inputto be utilized by onboard computer. As such, sensor arrays may operateto receive information from various areas surrounding the vehicle 100,up to and including three hundred sixty degrees around the vehicle 100.

In various embodiments, the sensor arrays may provide a Light Detectionand Ranging (LIDAR) system to provide accurate 3-dimensional (3D)information on the surrounding environment. Using this data, controlmodule 110 may implement object identification, motion vectordetermination, collision prediction, and vehicle avoidance strategies.The LIDAR unit may be well-suited to provide a 360° view by using arotating, scanning mirror assembly in surroundings sensor 114.

LIDAR provides raw information using high-speed, high-power pulses oflaser-light that are timed with the response of a detector to calculatethe distance to an object from the reflected light. An array ofdetectors, or a timed camera, can be used to increase the resolution ofthe 3D information. The pulse is very short to enhance depth resolution,and the resulting light reflections are used to create a 3D point-like“cloud” that is analyzed to transform the data into volumeidentification and vector information. The transformed result is thenused to calculate the vehicles’ position, speed, and direction relativeto these external objects, to determine the probability of collision,and instruct appropriate action, if needed.

In certain other embodiments, the sensor arrays may include one or morevisual cameras. The visual cameras may image the area, or portionthereof, surrounding vehicle 100 and provide image data to controlmodule 112. Control module 112 may then receive the image data and,through the use of image recognition techniques determine partiesproximate to vehicle 100 and, in certain embodiments, categorize themaccordingly. The outputs from vehicle 100 may be determined accordingly.

Surroundings sensor 114 may extend upwards from chassis 108. Theelevated position of surroundings sensor 114 may be configured to placethe sensors at an advantageous height to sense and detect objects alonga designated route. For example, by placing the sensor module at anapproximate height of between three to five feet, the sensor arrays maybe able to detect both bicycles and automobiles and other vehiclescommonly found on roads or sidewalks, as well as adult and childrenpedestrians along walkways. Since vehicle 100 may interact with humanoperators or customers for transport of order items, placing the sensormodule at a suitable height will improve detection and recognition ofhumans.

The sensor module may also be able to detect lower objects and/orobstacles at the preferred height. However, in some embodiments, thesensor module may be positioned at any desired height, which may begreater than five feet, lower than three feet, or anywhere in between.For example, additional sensor arrays may be positioned on lowerportions on vehicle 100. Such sensors may be used to improve detectionof lower objects, such as curbs or lane lines. For example, radars maybe built into the front bumper and other sides of the vehicle 100 tosupplement a LIDAR system in functions such as parking, lane changing,or in high traffic areas.

Video images may provide details for a human operator but are alsosuitable as an input parameter for highly automated driving. In someembodiments, the sensor arrays on surroundings sensor 114 may comprisevideo cameras to receive visual information for an operator duringremote control of the vehicle 100. Such visual information may also beprocessed by the onboard computer to recognize objects, such asdetermining lane lines or sensing objects or markers on the road, forexample. In some embodiments, motion tracking processing may beimplemented to recognize various objects based on the detected movement.Object recognition may also be implemented such that the vehicle 100 maybe configured to follow a particular object and/or recognize variousobjects and identify the objects (e.g., a worker based on theiruniform). Video or still images captured by cameras in the sensormodules may also be used for facial recognition to authenticateoperators or customers.

A combination of two-dimensional and three-dimensional imaging may beimplemented with image stitching and other processing to provide a 360°view. In some embodiments, the video cameras may be semiconductorcharge-coupled devices (CCD) or active pixel sensors in complementarymetal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) image sensors. Mono and stereo camerasmay be used in conjunction with radar systems to provide a preciseevaluation of speed and distance as well as the outlines of obstaclesand moving objects. Radar sensors for short-range (24 GHz) or long range(77 GHz) may be located in the front and back of the vehicle 100 tomonitor traffic. These can monitor ranges from a centimeter up to a fewhundred meters.

In some embodiments, sensor arrays in the sensor modules may includeultrasonic sonars, laser scanners, or other suitable sensor types. Insome embodiments, surroundings sensor 114 may further include taillightsto signal direction changes or other functionalities. Additional signallights may be located on the body of vehicle 100 for increasedvisibility and functionality.

Control module 112 may additionally receive such data and determineinstructions for operation of drive modules 102A and/or 102B. Forexample, control 112 may provide instructions to accelerate, brake, orturn the wheels of drive modules 102A and/or 102B based on the data fromsurroundings sensor 114. In various embodiments, control module 112 maybe configured to transmit and/or receive data from various otherparties. Thus, for example, control module 112 may include a Wi-Fi,Bluetooth®, or other short range wireless data transmitter configured toreceive data from other electronic devices and/or provide data toelectronic devices nearby vehicle 100.

Vehicle 100 may alternatively or additionally be controlled by anoperator via remote control. In some embodiments, surroundings sensor114 may provide visual, audio, or other information to a user device,such as wearable goggles worn by the operator. The operator may obtainsurround views of the area surrounding vehicle 100 by using a remotecontrol to pan a moveable camera in the sensor module. In someembodiments, an operator may view the surroundings by turning his headto view a corresponding location around the vehicle 100. In someembodiments, the goggles may provide augmented reality or virtualreality views of the surroundings and provide additional information tothe operator.

In some embodiments, a route for vehicle 100 may be determined inreal-time. In some embodiments, vehicle 100 may travel along a fixedpredetermined route to and from assigned locations. Furthermore, controlmodule 112 may comprise a location and movement sensors, such as aglobal positioning system (GPS), as well as an inertial measurement unit(IMU) to supplement the GPS with inertial guidance which require noexternal signals. Such IMU may include Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems(MEMS) based gyros and accelerometers, spinning-wheel gyros, or acombination thereof. In some embodiments, sensors such as an IMU mayalso indicate the roll, pitch, and yaw positions of vehicle 100. In someembodiments, control module 112 may also be configured to measure andmanage power requirements to control power, overall consumption, andthermal dissipation.

In various embodiments, control module 112 may include a user interface116. User interface 116 may receive a user input. Such user inputs maybe inputs entered through a keyboard or a touchscreen or an audio,visual (e.g., detected by one or more cameras), or other such inputs.User inputs may indicate a desired operating mode of vehicle 100,directions and/or destinations for vehicle 100, category of cargocarried by vehicle 100, and/or other instructions. Control module 112may provide different instructions based on the user inputs, asdescribed herein. Therefore, a user may indicate that vehicle 100 iscarrying cargo that can easily spill, such as soup, and, thus, controlmodule 112 may accordingly operate vehicle 100 with lower amounts ofacceleration and cornering forces. Various techniques for controllingvehicle 100 by control module 112 are further described herein.

Location sensor 118 may be any type of device configured to determine aposition of vehicle 100. In various embodiments, location sensor 118 maybe configured to determine a global position of vehicle 100. Locationsensor 118 may, thus, be a global positioning sensor (GPS). In otherembodiments, location sensor 118 may, additionally or alternatively,include one or more additional sensors such as accelerometers orgyroscopes. Such sensors may allow for determination of the position ofvehicle 100 even if no GPS signal is detected.

Display 120 may be disposed on an outside surface of vehicle 100.Display 120 may be configured to communicate one or more messages to oneor more persons proximate vehicle 100. In various embodiments, display120 may be any kind of visual display such as a light emitting diode(LED) display, a liquid crystal display (LCD), and/or another such typeof display. Display 120 may, in certain embodiments, include variousregions that are configured to display different types of messagesand/or data. Operation of display 120 and the display of messagesthereof may be controlled by data received from control module 116.

Speaker 140 may be a speaker configured to provide an audio output. Theaudio output may be used to communicate with persons or partiesproximate to vehicle 100 (e.g., within earshot of vehicle 100) by, forexample, providing a sound or other such output that can be heard.

Cargo may be contained within cargo module 110. Cargo module 110 mayinclude one or more openings or doors that allow for cargo to beinserted into cargo module 110. In various embodiments, cargo module 110may include features to receive pre-determined containers. That is,containers for cargo may be of one or a plurality of containers of oneor more a plurality of shapes. Cargo module 110 may include featuresthat receive and hold containers of those shapes.

In various embodiments, cargo module 110 may be configured to storevarious types of perishable goods for transport. In some embodiments,cargo module 110 may be configured with a heating unit to maintain thestored perishable goods at a desired temperature above the ambienttemperature. In some embodiments, a cargo module 110 may beadditionally, or alternatively, configured with a refrigeration unit tomaintain the stored perishable goods, such as ice cream, dairy, or rawmeats, at a desired temperature below the ambient temperature.

In various embodiments, the cargo module 110 may be locked or secured.Cargo module 110 may be accessed by a user, such as merchants, couriers(e.g., delivery associates), or customers, using authenticationinformation. In some embodiments, the authentication information mayinclude an access code entered at user interface 116. In someembodiments, the access code may be entered at a corresponding clientdevice and transmitted to control module 112. In some embodiments, theuser may use a corresponding client device to scan a barcode, includingQuick Release (QR) codes, on vehicle 100 to unlock cargo module 110. Insome embodiments, surroundings sensor 114 may include a camera forscanning a barcode generated at the client device. In yet furtherembodiments, the client devices may wirelessly communicate with vehicle100 to unlock and access cargo module 110 such as via Wi-Fi,Bluetooth®®, or RFID. In some embodiments, the system may utilizewireless beacons to unlock the storage compartment when it is determinedthat vehicle 100 has arrived at a particular location, such as amerchant location or depot. In some embodiments, a user may beauthenticated via facial recognition by capturing and analyzing an imageof the user via a camera or other sensor of vehicle 100.

FIG. 1B illustrates a front view of the automated perishable goodsdelivery system of FIG. 1A, in accordance with one or more embodiments.As shown in FIG. 1B, display 120 of vehicle 100 may extend the fullwidth of vehicle 100, or extend substantially (e.g., 80%) of the fullwidth, at the point where it’s mounted. In the embodiment of FIG. 1B,display 120 is disposed on the front of cargo module 110, but otherembodiments may dispose display 120 on other portions of vehicle 100.

FIGS. 2A-E illustrate various examples of automated perishable goodsdelivery systems with information graphical displays and outputsthereof, in accordance with one or more embodiments. FIGS. 2A-Eillustrate various configurations of the information graphical displaysas used in various embodiments of autonomous delivery vehicles. FIGS.2A-E illustrate vehicle 200, which includes display 120 disposed acrossthe width of vehicle 200. In certain embodiments, display 120 extendsupward to the top of the body of vehicle 200, though in certain suchembodiments, surrounding sensor 114 may be disposed above display 120.In such a configuration, surrounding sensor 114 may be disposed toobtain a large field of view while display 120 is disposed in manner(e.g., extending to the top of vehicle 200’s structure and extending forthe full width of vehicle 200) to allow for the persons proximatevehicle 200 to have the greatest likelihood of observing informationoutput on display 120.

Display 120 may, in certain embodiments, be divided into a plurality ofsections. Thus, for example, display 120 may be divided into sections202, 204, and 206. While the embodiment of FIGS. 2A-E divides display120 into a plurality of height wise sections (e.g., sections 202, 204,and 206 are at different heights), other embodiments may dividedifferent sections in other orientations (e.g., width wise, in certainspecific sections, and/or in another orientation), as described herein.Each of sections 202, 204, and 206 may be configured to communicatedifferent types of data, as described in FIGS. 2B-D.

Vehicle 200 further includes side extensions 220A and 220B. In variousembodiments, side extensions 220A and 220B may provide additionalinformation to other parties. Thus, for example, side extensions 220Aand 220B may be configured to provide signaling information (e.g., turnsignaling) or may be configured to provide information to partiesdisposed on either side of vehicle 200. As such, for example, if vehicle200 detects parties to the left of vehicle 200, vehicle 200 may utilizethe left sided extension to provide information instead of or inaddition to outputting the information on display 120. In certainembodiments, side extensions 220A and 220B may include displays on boththe forwarding facing and rearward facing portions of the extensions.

FIGS. 2B-D provide various examples of different configurations ofdisplay 120. FIG. 2B illustrates a first configuration of display 120.Display 120 includes sections 202, 204, and 206, as described in FIG.2A.

In FIG. 2B, section 202 may be configured to provide a set of eyes 250.Eyes 250 may be configured to be oriented towards certain persons thatare detected proximate to vehicle 200. Vehicle 200 may be configured todetect such persons through, for example, radar, LIDAR, or visual basedimage recognition techniques that can detect when a person is within afield of view of the sensors of vehicle 200. Vehicle 200 may beconfigured to detect the positions of such persons. Eyes 250 may then beconfigured to be oriented such that eyes 250 appear to be looking at thepersons, to an observer, to indicate that vehicle 200 has detected suchpersons. In certain embodiments, eyes 250 may be a separate set of eyes.

Section 204 of FIG. 2B provides a map 252. Map 252 may indicate to aviewer the location and/or planned path of vehicle 200. Map 252 mayinclude streets, maps, and other geographical features. Map 252 may alsoindicate the current location of vehicle 200 (detected via, for example,location sensor 118). Map 252 may also communicate to a person proximateto vehicle 200 to indicate how far vehicle 200 is from its destinationand what path vehicle 200 plans to proceed along to reach thedestination.

Section 206 of FIG. 2B provides a message 254. Message 254 may be a textmessage to communicate situations to the general public. Thus, forexample, message 254 may indicate that vehicle 200 is in a hurry, behindschedule, ahead of schedule, has critical orders, and/or indicateanother message. The messages may provide information to persons aroundvehicle 200.

In the embodiments of FIG. 2B, message 254 may be disposed on an upperportion of display 120 as such messages may be of highest importance.Eyes 250 may be disposed on a lower portion of display 120 as onlypersons nearby vehicle 200 would need to know that vehicle 200 isobserving them. By placing them on the lower portion, eyes 250 may bevisible to those persons. In various other embodiments, display 120 maybe configured to display various messages in certain locations based onimportance and visibility needs.

FIG. 2C provides another example configuration of display 120 of vehicle200. In FIG. 2C, section 202 includes eyes 260. Eyes 260 include twoeyes connected by a line. The configuration of eyes 260 allow forpersons to understand the limit of movement of the eyes. Such aconfiguration allows for person to more confidently determine whethereyes 260 are looking at the person.

Section 204 of FIG. 2C includes symbol 262. Symbol 262 may be a graphicconfigured to communicate a message to a person proximate to vehicle200. Various configurations of graphics of symbol 262 may include, forexample, a hand symbol, a thumbs up, a happy face, a sad face, a wave,and/or another such signal. In various embodiments, the various graphicsmay be well understood messages meant to convey simple messages. Thus,for example, a hand symbol may indicate to a person nearby vehicle 200to stop, a hand wave may indicate to a person nearby vehicle 200 to go(e.g., to cross a crosswalk), and a thumbs up may indicate to a workernearby vehicle 200 that unloading of vehicle 200 has been completed.

In various embodiments, symbol 262 may be a static unmoving symbol ormay be a video symbol. Thus, for example, symbol 262 may include astatic hand symbol as described herein, or may, for example, be a videoindicating how to unload vehicle 200. In certain such embodiments,vehicle 200 may be associated with a delivery service and may determinea presence of a person associated with the delivery service proximate tovehicle 200 (e.g., by identifying a uniform of the person via videodata, through communications with an electronic device carried by theperson, and/or through another such technique). Upon determining thepresence of the person associated with the delivery service, vehicle 200may then display a video indicating how to unload access and/or unloadfrom cargo module 110.

Section 206 of FIG. 2C provides a message 264. Message 264 may besimilar to message 254 as described in FIG. 2B. In certain embodiments,message 264 may be coordinated with eyes 260 and symbol 262. That is,for example, eyes 260 may indicate the person that vehicle 200 isaddressing (e.g., a service associate) while message 264 may indicatethe content of the message (e.g., “please unload”) and symbol 262 mayprovide details about the message (e.g., through instructions or througha video indicating how the actions should be performed). Thus, all ofdisplay 120 may be coordinated based on the user that vehicle 200 isattempting to communicate with.

FIG. 2D illustrates a further example configuration of display 120 ofvehicle 200. Display 120 includes eyes 260 as described in FIG. 2C.Additionally, section 204 of vehicle 200 of FIG. 2D provides a cameraview 266. Camera view 266 may be a representation (e.g., visual orthermal video) of what vehicle 200 detects (e.g., through surroundingssensor 114). In certain embodiments, camera view 266 may highlightvarious persons detected by vehicle 200 (e.g., all persons detected,persons detected that meet certain criteria such as being a workerassociated with vehicle 200, persons within a certain distance ofvehicle 200, and/or other persons meeting certain criteria).Highlighting of certain persons allows for people proximate to vehicle200 to realize who vehicle 200 has detected, who vehicle 200 is tryingto communicate with, and/or other such forms of communications. Incertain embodiments, the highlighting may be different based ondifferent criteria. Thus, for example, a square highlight around aperson may indicate a person that vehicle 200 has detected. A circlehighlight may indicate an obstacle detected by vehicle 200. A triangularhighlight may indicate a person detected by vehicle 200 that vehicle 200is providing a message to. In certain embodiments, the highlight maytrack the movement of the person. That is, as the person moves todifferent areas, the highlight may continue to be displayed over theperson.

Message 268 may be such a message. In various examples, message may beas described herein. Message 268 may be communications and/orinstructions to pedestrians, workers, delivery associates, maintenancepersonnel, the general public, and/or other such parties. As such,message 268 may allow for vehicle 200 to communicate and provideinstructions to different parties. In certain examples, vehicle 200 mayinclude a plurality of different messages for different people detected(e.g., vehicle 200 may include a first message for a delivery workerunloading vehicle 200 and a second message for a maintenance crew memberresponsible for maintaining vehicle 200). The messages may be cycledthrough and the person being addressed may be accordingly highlightedwithin camera view 266.

FIG. 2E illustrates a further configuration of display 120. In FIG. 2E,display 120 may be divided into a plurality of sections 206 and 292-298.As shown, while section 206 spans the full width of display 120,sections 292, 294, and 296 and 298 divides a portion of display 120 intoa plurality of width wise sections. Furthermore, sections 296 and 298further divide one width wise section into two vertical sections. Thus,various information displays described herein may be divided indifferent manners. It is understood that FIGS. 2A-E are illustrativeexamples; different embodiments may combine or utilize other versions ofconfiguring the display.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example flow process for operation of an automatedperishable goods delivery system, in accordance with one or moreembodiments. Environmental data 302 may be received in block 302 of thetechnique of FIG. 3 . Environmental data may be data gathered by one ormore surroundings sensor and may be radar, LIDAR, visual, thermal,electronic (e.g., Wi-Fi), and/or other such data. Environmental data mayallow the vehicle to determine the presence and/or absence of persons,wildlife, obstacles, traffic, delivery associates, associated workersand support personnel, and/or other objects or persons proximate to(e.g., within a threshold distance to) the vehicle.

In block 304, location data of the vehicle may be received from, forexample, a location sensor of the vehicle. The location data may be, forexample, GPS data of the vehicle. The location data may allow fordetermination, in certain embodiments, of where the vehicle is on itsproject delivery path. Thus, the location data may allow for the vehicleto determine which part of a road network it is located on. In othersituations, the location data may allow for the vehicle to determinethat it is located within a depot (e.g., a depot for loading and/orunloading and/or a maintenance depot).

In block 306, an output for a display of the vehicle is determined. Theoutput may be determined based on the environmental data and locationdata received in blocks 302 and 304. The output may include a graphicalrepresentation to be shown on the display as described herein. Thegraphical representation may be presented on all or a portion of thedisplay of the vehicle. In other embodiments, the output may,alternatively or additionally, include an audio output. The audio outputmay be, for example, a verbal command or audio information. Additionallyor alternatively, the output may include a wireless communication, to beprovided through wireless communications techniques to an electronicdevice (e.g., of a person detected to be proximate that of the vehicle).

In block 308, the output is provided. For example, the display of thevehicle may output the graphical representation. In certain embodimentswhere the output includes an audio output, one or more speakers of thevehicle may output the audio output through the speaker. In certainembodiments, the vehicle may determine the location of the target of theaudio output (e.g., the person that is the target of the audio outputmay be detected to be within one side of the vehicle) and speakersdisposed on that side of the vehicle may accordingly provide the output,instead of providing the audio output through all the speakers.Additionally, based on the location of the target, the graphicalrepresentation may also be output on certain portions of the display(e.g., if the target is to the left of the vehicle, the left side of thedisplay may output the graphical representation). In embodiments wherewireless communications is provided, the vehicle may wirelesslycommunicate data to a detected electronic device of, for example, thetarget.

FIG. 4 illustrates another example flow process for operation of anautomated perishable goods delivery system, in accordance with one ormore embodiments. FIG. 4 illustrates a technique for determining anoutput for a delivery associate or another person associated with thevehicle or a service that the vehicle is associated with, when such aperson is determined to be proximate to the vehicle.

In blocks 402 and 404, environmental data and location data arereceived, similar to blocks 302 and 304 of FIG. 3 . In block 406, thelocation of the vehicle is determined from, at least the location data.In certain embodiments, the location of the vehicle may be determined tobe within a depot (e.g., loading or unloading depot).

In block 408, based at least on the environmental data, a deliveryassociate may be determined to be proximate the vehicle. In certainembodiments, the delivery associate may be determined from variousenvironmental data received. Thus, for example, the vehicle may receivevideo data showing a person wearing a uniform. The uniform may bedetermined to match that of a uniform of a delivery associate. Inanother example, the vehicle may receive Wi-Fi, Bluetooth®, or otherwireless data from an electronic device carried by the deliveryassociate. The data may identify the person as a delivery associate. Inanother embodiment, once the vehicle determines that it is locatedwithin the depot, the vehicle may treat all detected persons as deliveryassociates. Other embodiments may, alternatively or additionally,identify the delivery associate based on movement of the deliveryassociate. Thus, for example, a person that is walking directly to thevehicle may be determined to be a delivery associate.

Based on the determination, the graphical representation may bedetermined in block 410. The graphical representation may include, forexample, instructions on how to load and/or unload the vehicle (e.g.,how to open the vehicle), destinations for one or more items carriedwithin the cargo module of the vehicle, and/or instructions on whereeach item should be loaded on the vehicle (e.g., the cargo module mayinclude multiple compartments for cold, warm, and hot food and theinstructions may indicate the compartments that are suitable for cold,warm, and hot food).

In certain embodiments, the vehicle may include orders for a pluralityof delivery associates. The vehicle may determine the identity of thedelivery associate (e.g., based on a nametag or based on the associate’smobile device). The vehicle may then determine one or more orders fordelivery associate and the graphical representation to instruct thedelivery associate to obtain those orders (e.g., the graphicalrepresentation may indicate an order number or may indicate where theorders associated with the delivery associate are located).

As such, the vehicle may determine various different graphicalrepresentations. Based on the determined graphical representation, thevehicle may display the graphical representation on, for example, adisplay of the vehicle and/or outputted on a speaker of the vehicle.

FIG. 5 illustrates a further example flow process for operation of anautomated perishable goods delivery system, in accordance with one ormore embodiments. In blocks 502 and 504, environmental and location dataare received as described herein. Furthermore, in block 506, cargo datais received. Cargo data may include the identity of items loaded intothe vehicle (e.g., soup, hamburger, ice cream), a target time fordelivery, a priority of delivery, an urgency of delivery, and/or otherdata. The type of bay that the cargo is loaded into (e.g., heated,cooled, unheated, or another type of bay) may also be entered. Thus, forexample, during loading of the vehicle, the cargo data associated witheach order may be communicated to the vehicle (e.g., wirelessly orthrough the user interface).

Based on the cargo data, location data, and/or environmental data, atarget transport time for one or more of the orders may be determined inblock 508. Thus, for example, the target transport time may be thetarget time for delivery determined in block 508. Additionally oralternatively, the target transport time may be a time determined basedon the type or identity of items loaded into the vehicle, the type ofbay that the item is loaded into, and the address of the destination.Other information provided in blocks 502-506 may also be used todetermine the target transport time.

Based on the target transport time, the urgency of delivery may bedetermined in block 510. In certain embodiments, the urgency of deliverymay be based on the target transport time determined in block 508. Incertain such embodiments, an estimated delivery time may be determinedand the estimated delivery time may be compared to the target transporttime. Based on the comparison, such as whether the estimated deliverytime is within a certain threshold percentage of the target transporttime (e.g., the estimated delivery time is within 75% or more of thetarget transport time or within another threshold percentage), theurgency of the delivery (e.g., relaxed, normal, urgent, very urgent) isdetermined.

Operations instructions are determined in block 512. The operationsinstructions may be determined based on the urgency of delivery as wellas other factors. Such instructions may include handling instructionsfor a delivery associate performing last mile delivery (e.g., whether todeliver the item in an insulated bag, whether to always keep the itemupright, and/or other such instructions). Additionally, the operationsinstructions may include a pace at which to deliver the item, which maybe a reflection of the urgency of delivery. Thus, the operationsinstructions may include whether to hurry or not when delivering theitem.

In certain embodiments, the vehicle may track the time remaining foreach item during delivery. Thus, the vehicle may track whether adelivery is currently being performed according to schedule or is aheador behind schedule, and the magnitude thereof. The urgency of deliverydetermined in block 510 and/or the operations instructions determined inblock 512 may be determined and/or updated based on the results of thetracking. Additionally, traffic conditions may also be updated and mayalso lead to updates to the urgency of delivery and/or the operationsinstructions.

Based on the determinations of one or more of blocks 508-512, and otherfactors, the graphical representation may be determined in block 514.The graphical representation may include instructions on how to accessthe cargo module of the vehicle. The graphical representation may alsoinclude handling instructions for the items. The graphicalrepresentation may also include the operations instructions and/or theurgency of delivery. Based on the determination in block 514, thegraphical representation may be displayed in block 516, as describedherein.

FIG. 6 illustrates an example flow process for determination of agraphical representation output by automated perishable goods deliverysystem based on person detected proximate to the automated perishablegoods delivery system, in accordance with one or more embodiments.

In block 602, environmental data is received from the surroundingssensor of the vehicle. Based on the data from the surroundings sensor,one or more persons is determined to be proximate the vehicle. Invarious embodiments, persons proximate to the vehicle may be personsdetermined to be within a threshold distance of the vehicle, personswho, based on their direction and/or speed of travel, are determined tobe within a threshold distance within a threshold timeframe, and/orpersons who are otherwise determined to be affected by the operation ofthe vehicle. In various embodiments, the vehicle may determine that oneor more person is a pedestrian, cyclist, motorist, or other person thatthe vehicle should provide communications to (e.g., communicationsdirected to the operation of the vehicle, commands to the person, and/orother such communications).

Based on the determination in block 602, a graphical representation isdetermined in block 606. The graphical representation may becommunications associated with operation of the vehicle (e.g., how thevehicle is programmed to operate), commands or suggestions for thepedestrian (e.g., whether to cross in front of the vehicle or wait onthe curb), and/or other information. The determined graphicalrepresentation is then displayed in block 608, through techniquesdescribed herein.

Although many of the components and processes are described above in thesingular for convenience, it will be appreciated by one of skill in theart that multiple components and repeated processes can also be used topractice the techniques of the present disclosure.

While the present disclosure has been particularly shown and describedwith reference to specific embodiments thereof, it will be understood bythose skilled in the art that changes in the form and details of thedisclosed embodiments may be made without departing from the spirit orscope of the disclosure. It is therefore intended that the disclosure beinterpreted to include all variations and equivalents that fall withinthe true spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

What is claimed is:
 1. An autonomous food transport vehicle comprising:a food transport container; a surroundings sensor; a display; and acontroller, configured to perform operations comprising: determiningthat the vehicle is at a first delivery depot; determining, based onvideo data and the determination that the vehicle is at the firstdelivery depot, a first information graphical representation associatedwith access to the food transport container; displaying the video dataon the display; and analyzing the video data to determine that there isa person proximate to the vehicle.
 2. The autonomous food transportvehicle of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:determining, based at least on the environmental data, that a deliveryassociate is proximate to the vehicle, wherein the determining the firstinformation graphical representation is further based on the determiningthat the delivery associate is proximate to the vehicle.
 3. Theautonomous food transport vehicle of claim 2, wherein the determiningthat the delivery associate is proximate to the vehicle comprises one ormore of: analyzing the environmental data to determine that a uniform ofan associated delivery service is being worn by a person proximate tothe vehicle, wherein the environmental data comprises video data; andreceiving wireless data indicating that the delivery associate is withina threshold distance from the vehicle, wherein the wireless data is froma wireless device associated with the delivery associate, and where inthe environmental data comprises the wireless data.
 4. The autonomousfood transport vehicle of claim 1, wherein the first informationgraphical representation comprises instructions indicating one or moresteps to access the food transport container.
 5. The autonomous foodtransport vehicle of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:determining a category of items disposed within the food transportcontainer, wherein the first information graphical representation isfurther determined based on the category.
 6. The autonomous foodtransport vehicle of claim 5, wherein the operations further comprise:determining an urgency of delivery based on the category, wherein thefirst information graphical representation comprises a representationindicating the urgency of delivery.
 7. The autonomous food transportvehicle of claim 6, wherein the operations further comprise:determining, based on the category, a target transport time; anddetermining operations instructions based on the target transport time,wherein the urgency of delivery is determined based on the targettransport time.
 8. A method comprising: determining that a vehicle is ata first delivery depot; determining, based on video data and thedetermination that the vehicle is at the first delivery depot, a firstinformation graphical representation associated with access to a foodtransport container; displaying the video data on a display; andanalyzing the video data to determine that there is a person proximateto the vehicle.
 9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:determining, based at least on the environmental data, that a deliveryassociate is proximate to the vehicle, wherein the determining the firstinformation graphical representation is further based on the determiningthat the delivery associate is proximate to the vehicle.
 10. The methodof claim 9, wherein the determining that the delivery associate isproximate to the vehicle comprises one or more of: analyzing theenvironmental data to determine that a uniform of an associated deliveryservice is being worn by a person proximate to the vehicle, wherein theenvironmental data comprises video data; and receiving wireless dataindicating that the delivery associate is within a threshold distancefrom the vehicle, wherein the wireless data is from a wireless deviceassociated with the delivery associate, and where in the environmentaldata comprises the wireless data.
 11. The method of claim 8, wherein thefirst information graphical representation comprises instructionsindicating one or more steps to access the food transport container. 12.The method of claim 8, further comprising: determining a category ofitems disposed within the food transport container, wherein the firstinformation graphical representation is further determined based on thecategory.
 13. The method of claim 12, further comprising: determining anurgency of delivery based on the category, wherein the first informationgraphical representation comprises a representation indicating theurgency of delivery.
 14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:determining, based on the category, a target transport time; anddetermining operations instructions based on the target transport time,wherein the urgency of delivery is determined based on the targettransport time.
 15. A non-transitory computer readable medium storinginstructions to execute a method, the method comprising: determiningthat a vehicle is at a first delivery depot; determining, based on videodata and the determination that the vehicle is at the first deliverydepot, a first information graphical representation associated withaccess to a food transport container; displaying the video data on adisplay; and analyzing the video data to determine that there is aperson proximate to the vehicle.
 16. The non-transitory computerreadable medium of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:determining, based at least on the environmental data, that a deliveryassociate is proximate to the vehicle, wherein the determining the firstinformation graphical representation is further based on the determiningthat the delivery associate is proximate to the vehicle.
 17. Thenon-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein thedetermining that the delivery associate is proximate to the vehiclecomprises one or more of: analyzing the environmental data to determinethat a uniform of an associated delivery service is being worn by aperson proximate to the vehicle, wherein the environmental datacomprises video data; and receiving wireless data indicating that thedelivery associate is within a threshold distance from the vehicle,wherein the wireless data is from a wireless device associated with thedelivery associate, and where in the environmental data comprises thewireless data.
 18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim15, wherein the first information graphical representation comprisesinstructions indicating one or more steps to access the food transportcontainer.
 19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15,wherein the method further comprises: determining a category of itemsdisposed within the food transport container, wherein the firstinformation graphical representation is further determined based on thecategory.
 20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19,wherein the method further comprises: determining an urgency of deliverybased on the category, wherein the first information graphicalrepresentation comprises a representation indicating the urgency ofdelivery.